Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2026
315. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the rationale for requiring an individual to undergo repeated Garda vetting when changing employment within the same regulated sector, including the school transport sector; whether his Department has examined options to allow Garda vetting to attach to an individual for a defined period irrespective of employer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9004/26]
View answerThe primary purpose of vetting carried out by the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) is to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. This requires a robust Garda vetting process that reassures the public, and in particular parents, that appropriate checks are conducted on people taking on positions of trust.
The Government is aware that concerns have been raised regarding certain aspects of the vetting process and I have listened carefully to the views of the sectors affected.
In this regard I'm conscious that aspects of the current vetting system result in a highly-segmented process. Furthermore, I believe that the vetting system should be updated to ensure that vetting is portable.
Further to the work carried out by the Garda Vetting Review Group, steps are now being taken to implement a number of key changes to the vetting process that will ensure it remains robust and effective while improving the service to customers.
In practice, and subject to a general requirement that vetting be renewed every three years, this will mean that when a person is vetted for the work they will be, or are likely to be, involved in as part of their employment or volunteering within identified risk categories, further vetting would not be required if the person were to move to another role within the same risk category.
These changes will require amending legislation and updated technical systems to support the revised approach and will make the process more efficient for volunteers and organisations, without compromising the essential safeguards that protect those in our care.
